Industry News from Yes Insurance

A motorist who was caught speeding has been found guilty of attempting to pervert the course of justice after moving a road sign in a bid to claim he had not broken the law.

John Hopwood was clocked breaking the speed limit twice in two days, once doing 48mph in a 40mph zone in Manchester and then again doing 41mph in a 30mph zone in Rochdale.

In a bid to avoid punishment and therefore run the risk of paying a higher car insurance premium, Mr Hopwood removed the 40mph sign from Manchester and attached it to a lamppost on the road where he was caught in Rochdale.

The 42-year-old then took photographs of the sign in both locations and sent it to officials, claiming he had barely exceeded the limit.

Police soon realised that the Rochdale road had a 30mph speed limit and called in a team of experts to examine the photographs.

After studying marks on the signs the experts came to the conclusion that the two signs were the same and Mr Hopwood was taken to court.

The council car assistant was given an intermittent custodial sentence of 56 days and faces costs of more than £2,700.

Upon sentencing him, Judge Anthony Ensor described Mr Hopwood's conduct as: "A stupid act bound to fail."

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